Honeycomb Breakfast Casserole

closetcooking.com (pic has asparagus, recipe doesn't)

While we are nothing if not traditional around the holidays, this was one of my favorite new recipes from Akin Holidays 2K11. It was, as per usual, from my favorite old cookbook, Heart & Soul.

While I generally jump at the chance to make a new variation of Dot’s Breakfast Casserole, I saw this and knew that this sausage/mushroom/HOLLANDAISE concoction was clearly meant for me. And as with our standby breakfast casserole, it is stupid easy to make and just plain satisfying.

The interesting thing here is that it’s mushrooms (instead of the usual bread) that provide much-needed texture to the eggy goodness here. Also, while this is pretty much the same recipe you’ll find in H&S, I have taken some liberties (because what’s not better with Worcestershire?) and shortcuts (because water baths are for babies, not food), so it won’t match up exactly if you get to fact-checking.

1 lb hot sausage
8 oz portabella mushrooms
8 oz button mushrooms
dash of Worcestershire sauce + Cavendar’s
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
8-10 eggs, beaten thoroughly

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Grease 9×13 in. baking dish and spread cheddar cheese on the bottom.
3. Cook sausage, drain, and layer on top of cheese.
4. In the drippings from the sausage, cook the mushrooms until just tender, adding Worcestershire and seasoning as needed.
5. Add into dish on top of sausage and pour egg mixture over the top.
6. Bake for 45 minutes or until the liquid (egg) in the middle of the casserole is firm.
7. Serve and top individual portions with Hollandaise. Nom nom nom.

Crawfish Cornbread Stuffing

So I probably should have posted these recipes last week before Thanksgiving, but I forgot and I wanted to test them out twice to get all kinks out of the way.  I was lucky to have two Thanksgivings this year, a “friendsgiving” down in NOLA (which was way better then my family Thanksgiving) and family Thanksgiving.  I still never want to eat again.   Below is an amazing crawfish stuffing that Chef John’s family has requested a double batch of for next year.  Perhaps you can save in your Thanksgiving recipe file for next year or break it out for the December holidays!  Chef’s note: make sure to use dry corn bread so it soaks up all the sauce. – ts

Chef John Says: Everyone knows that the best part of Thanksgiving is the stuffing. I usually dedicate about 3/4 of my plate to it. My family always has a traditional stuffing/dressing but this past Sunday we had a pre-Thanksgiving feast at our friend’s house in New Orleans and it was decided that we should make a more NOLA-style dressing. Tanya came across this beauty: Besh’s Crawfish Corn Bread Dressing. Like ALL of Besh’s recipes, this is very easy and delicious.
You can make the corn bread ahead or use leftover corn bread. In fact, the dressing may be prepared a day ahead and kept in the refrigerator until an hour before serving. I used more andouille, hot sausage, and garlic than it calls for… obviously. This recipe makes 8–10 cups, more than enough to stuff a turkey, but at our Thanksgiving we stuff our bird separately and serve dressings like this alongside. Serves 10

4 tablespoons rendered bacon fat (I used a couple tablespoons of butter instead)
¼ pound andouille sausage, diced
¼ pound hot pork sausage meat, removed from casing
1 medium onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, diced
½ green bell pepper, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups peeled crawfish tails, chopped (you can usually find a package of frozen tails)
2 green onions, chopped
1 small jalapeño pepper, chopped
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
Leaves from 1 sprig fresh thyme
2 tablespoons Basic Creole Spices
6 cups crumbled Basic Corn Bread
2 cups Basic Chicken Stock
½ cup heavy cream
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Put the bacon fat, andouille, and pork sausage into a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, breaking up the pork with the back of a wooden spoon.
2. When the pork sausage meat has browned, add the onions, celery, bell peppers, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the crawfish and cook for 2 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl.
3. Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl with the sausage and crawfish and stir together until well combined. Spoon the dressing into a large heatproof dish.
4. At this point, the dressing may be covered and refrigerated (for up to 1 day) until you are ready to bake it. Bake the dressing in a preheated 350° oven until it is piping hot and golden brown, 15–30 minutes.

Barrett’s Black Bean Cakes

The Chef sent me this recipe months ago, and it stalled out in my Inbox because black beans – or beans of any kind, really – often bore the crap out of me.

mensfitness.com

But the more I started looking at it, the more intrigued I became. The Mexican seasonings, the chorizo, and the suggestion that you serve it alongside quail – arguably the most adorable and delectable of tiny game birds – finally changed my mind.

The Chef also mentioned this is one of his favorite recipes from the CIA Cookbook, and whether that means “Central Intelligence Agency” or “Culinary Institute of America” to you, it’s pretty badass either way.

1 lb dried black beans
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup chorizo sausage
2/3 cup yellow onion, diced medium
2 tbsp garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, stemmed, seeded, and minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
1 1/2 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup cornmeal

1. Soak bean overnight in enough cold water to cover them by 3 inches.
2. Drain beans, place in a pot, and add the chicken broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until beans are tender, about 45 minutes. Drain.
3. Cook the chorizo over medium heat in a saute pan until the fat is rendered and the chorizo is slightly crispy.  Add onions, garlic and jalapeno, and saute until golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes.
4. Add the cumin and chili powder and saute until fragrant. Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool.
5. Combine beans, chorizo mixture, egg, cilantro, lime juice and salt.  Mix well, mashing some of the beans to help keep the cake together.
6. Form the mixture into 16 cakes, about 2 inches in diameter and 1/2 inch thick. Dust the cakes lightly with cornmeal.
7. Preheat nonstick skillet to medium heat. Cook the cakes until heat through, about 4 to 6 minutes.  The Chef says you’re gonna have to work in batches here, so be prepared to move quickly.

Serve these immediately (because these suckers are best hot), preferably with grilled quail and Coffee BBQ Sauce.

Sewell’s Shrimp Creole

This recipe comes from JR’s friend Sewell, a good ‘ole Georgia boy who knows the importance of Cajun seasoning in anything that bears the “Creole” name. I normally wouldn’t post something from a Georgia fan two days before their (likely not epic but here’s-to-hoping good) battle with the Vols, but this looks too darn good to ignore.

foodnetwork.com

The main thing to remember with this recipe is that juice is your friend. Don’t drain anything here. All of that sauce the ‘maters are packed in provides flavor and richness, so feel free to add more as you go if your Creole looks a little thirsty.

2-3 links andouille sausage, sliced
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
1 small sweet onion, chopped
4 stalks of celery, chopped
1 ear of corn, cut off the cob (or 1/2 cup frozen)
4-8 cloves of garlic, minced
2-3 large cans diced tomatoes (Italian) + juice
1-2 cans of rotel + juice
1 cup rice, cooked according to package directions
Cajun seasoning
olive oil or butter
hot sauce

1. Brown sausage in large dutch oven with olive oil. Remove and reserve.
2. Saute bell pepper, onion, celery, and garlic in same pan until soft (about 5-10 minutes) with the Cajun seasoning.
3. Add sausage, corn, tomatoes, and rotel.
4. Let simmer for 15-20 minutes.
5. Add shrimp and cook for three minutes.
6. Serve over rice with hot sauce.

Besh (Best) Jambalaya

We cooked this on one of our last dinner parties at our apartment in NYC.  It was amazing.  We made a huge pot of it, and I am pretty sure there were no leftovers.  People were stuffing their face and going for third helpings.  Chef John and I love “My New Orleans” cookbook.  Other then the obvious fact that his recipe’s are amazing, I also love this cookbook because John Besh describes the cooking process and why it is important to do certain things while you are cooking.   -ts

Chef John says: If you don’t have John Besh’s book, “My New Orleans,” than you need to have your head examined, go buy it. In my opinion, he’s easily one of the most talented and innovative chefs out there and best of all he likes to use pork… a lot. I’m trying to eat my way through his book at the moment but wanted to share with you his Jambalaya recipe. Prior to this, I’ve never tried to make it on my own and I was really surprised by how easy it was.  This is one of my favorite comfort foods and provides a great base for a long night out.

2 pounds bacon, diced
3 pounds andouille sausage, diced
1/2 cup lard (OPTIONAL- we did not use bc there is enough pork fat)
2 pounds fresh pork sausage, removed from casings
8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, roughly cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6 large onions, diced
4 bell peppers, seeded and diced
10 stalks celery, diced
12 cloves garlic, minced
9 cups converted Louisiana white rice
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 dried bay leaves
3 tablespoons pimention de la Vera or smoked paprika
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon celery salt
6 cups canned crushed tomatoes
6 cups chicken stock
5 pounds Louisiana white shrimp or other wild American shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 bunches green onions, chopped

1. First, you’ll need to heat a very large pot 3-5 gallons) over high heat until it is hot, then reduce the heat to moderate.  This will allow the heat to be uniform all over, preventing those little hot spots that are likely to burn.
2. Render the bacon with the sausages and the lard in the hot pot, stirring slowly with a long wooden spoon or a spade.  While the pork is rendering, go ahead and season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper.  Add the chicken to the pot, stirring, and cook until the chicken becomes golden brown, about 5 minutes.
3. After the chicken as browned, add the onions to the pot and all them to caramelize, about 15 minutes.  Add the bell peppers, celery, and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes.  Continue stirring from time to time so that everything in the pot cooks evenly.
4. Next add the rice, thyme, bay leaves, pimention, cayenne, 2 tablespoons salt, 1 tablespoons black pepper, and the celery salt to the pot and cook, stirring often for 3 minutes.
5. Increase the heat to high and add the tomatoes and chicken stock to the pot,  Bring the stock to a boil.  Reduce the heat do medium low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
6. While the rice is cooking in the covered pot, season the shrimp with salt and pepper and save them, along with the green onions, to be added at the last minutes.
7. After the rice as simmered for 15 minutes, go ahead and remove the lid from the pot and fold int he shrimp and green onions.  Turn off the heat and let everything continue to to cook in the hot covered pot for an additional 10 minutes.  Remove the lid, fluff the jambalaya and serve.

Big D’s Brunchy Sausage Boat

This is not a picture of the actual boat, but it gives you the gist. Pic coming post haste.

Whenever I mention this to The Chef, he looks slightly befuddled and a little grossed out (I think the term “boat” evokes images of cruise ships and buffet lines or something). In my ever-present quest to prove him wrong, I am making him breakfast for dinner tonight, and this is on the menu.

Big D has been making this for years, and it is always quickly devoured. My dad actually once delivered one to my cousin’s house, and her husband (who is kept on a tight-but-healthy regimen) answered the door. He ate the whole thing by himself as though it were an actual 1-person sized sandwich. That is hilariously fat to the adorable power.

1 package hot sausage
1 onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 package mushrooms, sliced
2 cups Mexican cheese, shredded
1 tbsp Worcestershire
1 tbsp yellow mustard
1 loaf bakery bread, not sliced
hot sauce, salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. Remove most of the bread from the inside of the loaf, leaving an inch or so around the outside (the crust and a little bit of bread cushion is the main event here, so as long as you leave those, you’re golden).
3. Cook sausage, onion, pepper and mushrooms. Drain.
4. Return to skillet and add Worcestershire, mustard and seasoning. Add cheese and mix. (This is yet another recipe like Big D’s Breakfast Casserole where the more you experiment, the better it gets. Different kinds of cheese, spices and veggies are super fun in here. Live a little.)
5. Stuff “boat” with sausage mixture, cover with foil and bake just until crusty and heated through (20 minutes).
6. Slice and scarf. And drop a slice by my cousin’s house.

Sidenote: If you have any leftover filling, it’s stupid good on chips, perhaps even mixed with a little cream cheese for dipping. I know, I KNOW, cream cheese/dip fixation. Work out your own issues first before you come at me, OK? You’re not my real dad anyway.

Big D’s Breakfast Casserole

This is a recipe I remember fondly from my childhood. I’ve re-purposed it many times over the past few years for brunches, bachelorette parties, pre-Steeplechase breakfasts – it has been a staple at every one because it is very easy and very good. In fact, I recall Rusty-Dusty in particular asking me 3 or 4 times if I “really actually made this, like seriously?” when he had some because he apparently thought me incapable of doing anything domestic. Preesh.

1 package hot sausage, cooked and crumbled
8 slices white bread (any bread you have on hand will work)
1 pkg Mexican shredded cheese (2 cups)
1 dozen eggs
1 can Rotel tomatoes, drained
salt & pepper or Cavender’s/Tony’s
hot sauce

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Line a lightly greased baking dish with bread slices.
3. Beat eggs. Season with Cavendar’s and hot sauce. Add cheese, sausage and Rotel tomatoes and mix. (You can do this the night before if you want.)
4. Pour over bread and bake for 30 minutes or until center of casserole bounces back when touched lightly. Cut into squares and serve.

I often use this recipe as a base for experimentation, so feel free to swap out the sausage for ham or chicken, add veggies such as mushrooms or jalapenos, or dress it up with an Italian cheese blend. Just don’t leave out the eggs. That tends to make for a very dry situation.

Meatballs in Marinara

There’s nothing better than a good meatball. The problem is most meatballs are passable at best and downright TASTELESS at worst. These are anything but. They have a great flavor on their own and are even better seared off and then dropped into the yummiest of sauces to simmer til they sop up all the tomatoey goodness.

1 1/2 lbs of ground beef
10 oz (one tube) of mild country sausage
5 garlic cloves, minced
half of bunch of Italian parsley, minced
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup of Italian breadcrumbs
2 eggs
sprinkle of nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste

1. Make a mini meatball and cook it in a hot saute pan in a little olive oil. Taste for seasoning before making the rest of the meatballs.
   (Tasting and browning are the key steps to this recipe. Most people who suck at cooking suck because they don’t taste at every step. Don’t be one of them. Also, The Chef almost went postal having to make all these balls by himself, so draft someone for help or do them in advance.)
2. Roll into balls, brown on all sides, and then simmer in tomato sauce for 30-45 minutes, adding parsley when you add the meatballs. Serve over angel hair pasta. De Cecco is the best brand I’ve ever found and it literally takes 2-3 minutes tops to be ready.

Runyan’s Butternut Squash, Sausage & Sage Pasta Sauce

Runyan has decided to step up and represent the Mid-Atlantic region with this nummy-looking sauce. I believe this is the first offensive move by the easterly part of the U.S. in what promises to be a coastal recipe war. Pitts, you are on notice.

1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed into 1″ cubes
3 sweet or spicy Italian sausages, casings removed
1/2 teaspoon sage (I used dried, use more if using fresh)
1 half pint heavy cream
1 cup fontina cheese shredded
2 cloves garlic chopped
1 shallot chopped
1/2 cup white wine

1. Brown sausage in pan, crumbling it up as it cooks. When mostly cooked but not all the way, remove from pan. Leave the grease unless there is too much.
2. Add shallot and cook for 2 minutes before adding garlic, butternut squash, and salt and pepper. Stir.
3. Add half cup white wine and put on lid. Cook/steam on medium heat for 10 minutes.
4. Check to see if the squash is soft; if not, cook a bit longer. When squash is soft, add sausage and sage.
5. Add cream and reduce heat way down to simmer. Check for salt and pepper but keep in mind that cheese is going in next. When cream is warm, add cheese and mix well.
6. Serve with long pasta or short.  When pasta is done, drain and add to warm sauce cooking for an additional 30 seconds.

I love the direction “serve with long pasta or short.” Runyan’s giving you culinary freedom, y’all. Respect.

Joanne Ribeiro’s Sausage ‘n Kraut

I managed to eat this 3 times in 12 hours on my first (and definitely not last) trip to Lewisburg. It’s the perfect precursor to Mama’s Country and, incidentally, the perfect nightcap as well. Rest assured that after you eat this (and wash it down with a good stiff cachaca drink) you will definitely want to grow a Zippy-inspired mustache.

2-3 rings Polska Kielbasa
3 jars or large cans of sauerkraut
Salt Pork (half a pkg)
paprika
4-6 tablespoons of sugar

1. Heat a pot (or crockpot) put the salt pork in it until it starts to curl or looks brown.
2. Drain the sauerkraut and dump it in pot, sprinkle with paprika and sugar, cover and let simmer for about an hour.
3. Slice the kielbasa, add to sauerkraut, cover and let cook .  The longer it simmers and cooks the better it is, so just put it on and let it go :). Stir every once in awhile so it doesn’t stick.